January 2018 BRANCHES

BRANCHES
EXPRESS GRACE
"AROUND THE WORLD"
2018 Conference
JANUARY 2018 | southwood.org
introducing:
robert blevins
officer election:
meet the candidate

SOUTHWOOD
BRANCHES
DESIGNER Eli Maples
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Ron Clegg
Derrick Harris
PHOTOS
Southwood Members
FEEDBACK!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
OVERVIEW
COVER PHOTO
Express Grace Around the World
CHURCH STAFF
CHRISTINE BETTS Assistant Director, Youth/Families
NIÑA CASH Director of Children's Ministry
RITA CLARDY Executive Assistant
SHANNON CLARK Administrative Assistant
RON CLEGG Assistant Pastor, Discipleship
TY COMMONS Youth and Family Intern
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
DERRICK HARRIS Asst. Pastor, Shepherding & Young Families
ELI MAPLES Graphic Designer
ROBERT BLEVINS Director of Community Development
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
PETER RENDER Assistant Pastor, Youth/Families
ANGELA SIERK Assistant Director/Children's Ministry
WILL SPINK Senior Pastor
CONTENTS
3 pastor's note
4 express grace around the world
Conference info
5 express grace around the world
Speakers
6 introducing robert blevins
Meet our new director of community
development
6 session update
7 small groups
7 officer election
Meeting the new candidate
UPCOMING EVENTS
Host Team Huddle
January 7
NextWave Small Group Sign-ups
January 7-21
Men's Breakfast
January 20
Express Grace Conference
January 27 and 28
Family Movie Night
February 2
Annual Congregational Meeting
February 4
southwood
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Ron Clegg • Ages Under 35 & 45-65, Room A
How do we connect the truths of the Gospel with everyday
life, including fears, idols, addictions, and reactions to daily
situations? We will apply together what we know to how we live.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT HERE
David Clark & John Foreman • Ages 35-45 & Over 65, Room D
How does the Gospel challenge and transform cultural
assumptions we may not even realize we live with? We will
examine together our unexamined expectations and how the
Gospel changes everything.
WELCOME TO SOUTHWOOD
Will Spink • All Welcome, Room B
This class will introduce you to the basics of Christianity,
Southwood, and church membership. The objective is to help you
get connected to the body of Christ, to answer your questions,
and 2 JANUARY to help you get 2018 involved | SOUTHWOOD.ORG
with the mission of Southwood.
Spring Retreat
at
Camp Alpine, Mentone, AL
A relaxing weekend where
women can actually retreat!
Guest Speaker: Denine Blevins
March 16-18

PASTOR’S NOTE
Eye-Opening Experiences
When I traveled to India this fall to work with
our mission partners there, the trip opened
my eyes in ways that greatly challenged and
encouraged my heart. As you might expect, it
opened my eyes to the beauty and uniqueness
of a different culture as well as the dire need
for the gospel to impact India. But most of all
it opened my eyes to ways our God is working
around the world that I might have hoped or
prayed for but had never witnessed firsthand.
After all, it’s not every day I find myself
surrounded by Indian pastors sharing their
stories of God’s power and faithfulness in their
communities … what a great gift! As I told you
when I came back, it made me long for all of
you to be there and experience it with me!
I can’t take you all across the globe, but I do
hope to share a similar gift with you during
our Express Grace Conference at the end of
this month. See, it’s not every day that we find
ourselves surrounded by mission partners from
around the world right here in Huntsville. This
weekend – focused on “Expressing Grace
Around the World” is one that you will not want
to miss! You will get to have your eyes opened
and your heart encouraged by stories of God’s
work around the world in places you’ve never
seen – all without leaving 35802.
While we rightly focus much of our time and
energy on seeing God’s kingdom advance
where God has called us here in Huntsville,
the good news of the gospel has always been
good news of great joy “for all people” and
“for every nation.” So, we dare not allow the
natural dynamic of “out of sight, out of mind”
to occur with the global mission of God.
Instead, let’s look forward to having our eyes
opened and our hearts focused on what is
happening beyond our city so that our vision
of who God is and how he works is expanded.
Southwood has mission partners working to
see the gospel impact countries spanning
five continents. They are sharing the same
good news of grace, laboring to see the same
kingdom of Christ advanced in word and
deed, and relying upon the same Holy Spirit
who empowers us here in Huntsville for these
tasks. They are planting churches, evangelizing
unreached people groups, starting community
development initiatives, equipping indigenous
pastors, caring for orphans, widows, slaves,
and more – all because of grace.
That’s why we call all this “expressing grace.”
The same story God is using to transform
Huntsville (your life, family, workplace, and
neighborhood) – the story about Jesus that
enables sinners to be forgiven, orphans to
be adopted, and creation to be restored – is
transforming communities around the world.
So, soaking in God’s grace together and
hearing stories of his transformative work will
remind us that we are on that same mission
and encourage us that the gospel really is the
power of God for the salvation of the world –
and every individual, no matter where or when.
It would be easy to give you a “guilt trip”
about this conference – to talk about how little
it requires or how it’s the least we can do – but
I’d rather give you a “grace trip.” Please block
your calendar for Saturday night, January 27,
and stay until you just have to leave; come at
9:00 Sunday morning to hear from our mission
partners even if it’s the only time you make
it that early all year; eagerly anticipate being
a part of the worship service that caps our
weekend. But don’t come because you’ve had
guilt heaped on you; come because you’ve
had grace lavished on you – grace you can’t
wait to celebrate and share! We get to give
freely because we have received freely!
Traveling to India isn’t the only way to have
your eyes opened to the work of God around
the world. Attending our Express Grace
Conference isn’t the only way to have your
eyes opened either (after all, we pray for and
talk about God’s work among the nations
throughout the year). But it’s a really good
one – and a unique one – because people
and places often out of sight are coming to
a church near you later this month. Celebrate
and share God’s grace with them!
Will Spink
Senior Pastor
If you would like to contact
Will, use the following:
will.spink@southwood.org
@WillSpink
JANUARY 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

SOUTHWOOD
BRANCHES
CONFERENCE 2018
by Ron Clegg
We are finishing up the holiday season where we celebrate the
coming of the Son of God in human flesh. What a glorious thing
our God accomplished for us in the birth of Jesus. Why did He
come? There are multiple reasons we could list, but the Gospel of
John tells us that Jesus came into the darkness of our
ignorance and our rebellion to make the Father
known. We were initially created to know
God personally and intimately, but
our sin disrupted that relationship
to such an extent that it was
irreparable from our side. Help had
to come from Heaven. And it did in
a most glorious way. God Himself
came in the incarnation of His Son,
sending Jesus to be the bridge
between the rebel creature and
the Holy Creator.
WORLD
THE AROUND
R
ARO
The fact that we can return
to the personal, intimate
knowledge and relationship
with our Creator is wonderful
beyond imagination. But it
gets even better than that. In
John 17:20-21 Jesus prays this for
us: “I do not ask for these only, but
also for those who will believe in me
through their word, that they may all be
one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in
you, that they also may be in us.” We are not
just brought into acquaintance with God, but we are
deeply united to Him just as He is united to the Son and to
the Spirit. We can know Him at a level that boggles the mind. We
are loved with the same passion and joy as the Trinity loves one
another.
Jesus also says, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them
into the world” ( John 17:18). The “them” He is speaking of is us,
those who would come after the Apostles and who believe their
word. Jesus was sent into the world that the Father might become
known. Now Jesus is sending us in the same way, to
make the Father known. That is our purpose
and calling as believers in Jesus. We are
now ambassadors of the glory of God
and the salvation accomplished for
us through Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection. We have no greater calling
than to be the personal representatives of
the Creator King of all things to those
who remain in darkness.
Sharing joyful news actually makes
us more joyful. When I was married,
I invited many people into our joy
to celebrate our wedding with us.
Sharing our joy actually enhanced
our joy. In Christ we now are
blessed with news so much greater
than a wedding. We now are sent
with the news that the darkness is
broken and that the curse brought
about by our sin is undone. We are
now sent just as Jesus was, joyfully to
make the source of our joy known.
This is the idea behind the phrase “experience
and express grace.” Our mission as a church is that we
might experience more deeply the extravagant grace given to
us through Jesus, because that is the fountain of eternal joy. Yet,
that joy is not just for us. We rejoice to make the source of our joy
known to those who remain in the chains of sin and despair.
This is why the Father sent the Son into this dark world, to make
the glory of God known once again. What grace He has given to
us who deserve only His curse! Our sin gained for us the darkness,
but in the love of God, we are shown grace that we might know Him
intimately again, not as our condemning judge, but as our beloved
Father.
The implications for us in all of this are huge. First, we are the
recipients of a gift of grace that we cannot fully fathom in this life.
At best we can taste of the glory of our new position in Jesus. But
we are also given hope that one day we will know this reality in full.
This is also the idea behind our Express Grace Conference. Its
design is that your joy in God’s grace will be heightened, and that
you will be encouraged to see that joy flow from you to a needy
world. This year we are focusing on our work in making God known
through global missions. We are involved in many places sharing the
joy we know in Christ. We will have several of our mission partners
with us for our conference so that you might be encouraged at how
Southwood is bringing the light of the knowledge of Christ to the
world, and that you might find your place in the work of making the
glory of God known around the world.
4 JANUARY 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

BRANCHES
SOUTHWOOD
CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Dr. Daniel Doriani is Professor of Theology
Dr. Dan Doriani, Covenant Theological Seminary
and Vice President of Strategic Academic
Projects at Covenant Theological Seminary. Before that he was Senior Pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, a large
congregation in the business and university district of St. Louis. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty, Vice
President of Academics, and Professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Doriani
earned graduate degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary and from Yale University, where he was also a
research fellow. Doriani is a council member and regular blogger for The Gospel Coalition. He has written fourteen
books of biblical exposition, hermeneutics, and gender and family issues and has contributed to eight others. A
frequent conference speaker, he and his wife Deborah, a musician, have three daughters, Abigail, Sarah, and Beth.
ATTENDING GLOBAL MISSION PARTNERS:
Derek and Laura serve on Mission to the World’s churchplanting
team in Cusco, Peru. Of the 1.2 million people
Derek and Laura Dougherty, MTW Peru
living in the area surrounding Cusco, only four percent are Christians. In 2015 a church (Fuente De Gracia)
was planted with a small core group of new believers. Derek serves in a variety of capacities--providing
leadership alongside the pastor, discipling Peruvian men, as well as training and equipping Peruvians to be
leaders in the church. In addition to church planting, the MTW Cusco team is involved in medical ministry
via a local clinic that is run by missionary doctors, a ministry to college students at local universities, and an
orphan care ministry. Laura supports the MTW team in Cusco through leading and teaching in a homeschool
co-op, as well as providing oversight to the children’s ministry of the church plant.
“Bundibugyo” literally means “the end of the road.”
Justin and Alanna Huston, Serge Ireland
And it was there in Uganda that Justin, on R&R from a
tumultuous situation in South Sudan, met Alanna, who was serving as a teacher for missionary kids there in
Uganda. The Hustons were married in September 2017 and are now looking forward to a life of ministry
together.
By the fall of 2018 the couple hopes to move to Dublin, Ireland, to work with Serge’s Metro Team. They
look forward to using their gifts and talents to mentor missionary apprentices, help run the summer internship
program, and work with church revitalization efforts. Until then Justin is working for the Serge Renewal Team
providing theological support while continuing his education through the Doctor of Ministry program at Reformed Theological Seminary. The
couple is actively raising support while preparing for their future ministry in Ireland.
Reaching Indians Ministries
Dr. Saji Lukos, Reaching Indians Ministries International (RIMI)
International’s (RIMI)
mission is to reach the unreached people groups in South Asia and around the world with the gospel of
Jesus Christ, especially the poor and marginalized including Dalits, rural women, and slum children. The
three key program areas are: (1) Evangelism and Church Planting, (2) Leadership Development, and
(3) Compassion Ministries. These programs are primarily delivered through Mission India, a non-profit
organization based in Nagpur, India, that was also established by Rev. Dr. Saji Lukos. Mission India
operates Mission India Theological Seminary (MITS) and oversees a network of over 1,500 indigenous
missionaries and 30 Bible schools, and cares for over 1,000 children.
JANUARY 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 5

SOUTHWOOD
INTRODUCING:
ROBERT BLEVINS
by Ron Clegg
Originally from Winchester, Tennessee, Robert Blevins was
a history teacher and coach for 13 years in the inner city of
Chattanooga. When he felt the call to vocational ministry, he
left the school system and became the program director at
Hope for the Inner City, a mercy ministry started out of New
City Fellowship in Chattanooga. His experience coaching and
working with under-resourced communities helped prepare
him for his next role with our denomination's Mission to North
America (MNA) agency through the New City Network. His role
with that group was to come alongside pastors and churches who
are thinking through how to engage low-income communities
using a developmental, non-paternalistic approach to train and
equip them.
Robert played college basketball and has the spiritual gift of
useless sports knowledge. In June 2016, he married his rideand-die
partner, Denine, whose best quality is that she loves
Jesus. While they'll miss their 500-sq ft New York City apartment,
they're looking forward to serving Southwood and the greater
Huntsville community.
The focus of Robert’s work here as part of the staff team at
Southwood will be to continue and expand our Community
Development work in Huntsville. He will work with Pastor Ron
towards discipling Southwood members to be more effective
ministers of the Gospel, especially in our local context, as well
as to help engage Southwood with community partners working
to break the cycle of poverty for many Huntsville residents and
communities. While serving with us here at Southwood, he will
also continue his work of consulting with other churches who
want to grow in their ability to engage effectively with lowincome
communities.
SESSION UPDATE
Since we shared with you last year some significant financial
needs we were facing, we wanted to begin by praising God for his
gracious provision once again. While the numbers aren’t final as
of this mailing, it appears clear that income will exceed expenses
for 2017 by a meaningful margin. Honestly, God continues to
surprise us with his generosity and increase our faith in him. And
while we thank him for this, we also want to thank you for your
faithful and generous support of the work of God’s church and
kingdom and thank our staff for their careful stewardship of our
budgeted resources. We will report final income and expense
numbers for the year at the Annual Congregational Meeting
on Sunday, February 4, at which time we will also present the
2018 budget. With a full staff, active ministries, and additional
support of our mission partners in the new year, please continue
to pray for, depend on, and expect God’s spiritual and material
provision for Southwood.
That annual meeting after the worship service on February 4
will also include times to pray together, updates on the mission
and ministries of the church, and election of new trustees and
church officers. In particular, this year we are recommending
the election of Brent Snyder to the office of deacon. Please feel
free to talk with Brent, read about him in this issue of Branches,
and pray for him as he considers this calling. Please also pray
with us throughout this year for Michael Babin, Phillip Barrett,
Elder Andes Hoyt, and Elder Doug Roberts, who have agreed
to participate in our Officer Apprenticeship Program. This is an
important time of training and consideration for men you as the
congregation have nominated for service alongside our Session
and/or Diaconate.
Finally, please pray for the Session as we have begun some
intentional strategic planning efforts. This work is not intended
to reinvent Southwood or change the direction of the church but
rather to help us refine our focus and establish priorities for the
next year and three years toward serving the mission God has
already given us as a body. Please pray specifically for our newly
formed Strategic Planning Committee, which reports to the
Session: Elder Mike Stanfield (chairman), Elder Mark Baginski,
Reeves Fancher, Elder Todd Gandy, Deacon Don Hachen, Sarah
Niemitz, Lolita Owens, and Elder Will Spink. As always, the
Session and this committee in particular value your input and
look forward to keeping you up to date as we pray and plan.
6 JANUARY 2018 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

Small Groups
by Derrick Harris
Community is important. It’s vital to the existence and flourishing
of human beings. It’s been said that we can only truly understand
ourselves in the context of community with one another.
God IS community. The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches
us that, “there are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same
in substance, equal in power and glory.” God has always existed
and will always exist in a relationship of community.
God created us to be IN community with each other.
Before sin ever entered the world, God created mankind to
be in community (Gen 2:18). One of the major ways that we
experience God’s love is through the community of his people.
The Israelites were in community through the Exodus when they
grumbled together and praised together. In the book of Acts,
we learn that the believers were in community as they believed
and “had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). A community shares
burdens and possessions. A community cares for and comforts
its members.
God reveals himself THROUGH community. Francis Schaeffer
wrote that “our relationship with each other is the criterion the
world uses to judge whether our message is truthful—Christian
community is the final apologetic.” We want the world around
us to know that the love of God is authentic. We want others to
see God’s love in us and through us.
Small groups are a way for us to experience and reveal the
communal love of God to one another. Carolyn Taketa writes,
“Small groups are a way of living out our purpose, both as
individuals and as a collective group of believers—to be the
church. We share a common foundation of faith and God has
called us to live out the implications of that faith in a relational
community, in the context that we call a small group.” Do you
need community? Do you need to share community? Would you
consider joining a small group this year?
On January 7, 14, and 21 we’ll have our “Next Wave” of
signups for the new season of small groups at Southwood.
You can sign up during a worship service or online at www.
southwood.org/smallgroups. Got questions? Call us at
256-882-3085 or email Shannon.clark@southwood.org for
more information.
OFFICER
ELECTION
by Will Spink
The Bible makes clear through stories, through negative
examples, and through direct instruction how vital godly
leadership is in the life of God’s people. We believe that God
has gifted men and women in his church to serve as leaders
throughout his body and throughout the world. In particular,
he has called some men to the roles of elder and deacon in his
church, and we seek to be prayerful and intentional in identifying
them and preparing them well for this task.
To this end, we receive nominations every year from the
congregation of men they see who have godly character and
who are serving and shepherding within the congregation.
Alongside these nominations are several aspects of training that
go into helping these men develop their gifting and discern the
timing for them to serve in these formal offices. Our Leadership
Training Class meets 14 times for two hours, and we also have an
Officer Apprenticeship Program, in which men serve alongside
the elders and/or deacons to learn the realities of the office and
prayerfully consider together God’s calling in their lives.
When nominees complete the class and the apprenticeship,
they are examined by the Session and can then, if appropriate,
be recommended to the congregation for election as an elder
or deacon. This year we have one man, Brent Snyder, who has
completed this process and is being recommended by the
Session to the congregation for election to the office of deacon
at the February 4 Congregational Meeting. Please pray for Brent
as well as for the new group of apprentices who are serving
alongside the church officers this year and considering God’s
calling on their lives to these important roles in his Church.
CANDIDATE BIO
Deacon Nominee
NAME: Brent Snyder
AGE: 38
SPOUSE: Kellie
CHILDREN: Samuel, Sara,
and Silas
MEMBERSHIP: 4 years
SERVICE: JR High Life
Adult Leader; Community
Development Team Member
My passion and prayer for Southwood as we move forward is to
be a church that embraces the Gospel of Christ not just within
the walls of Southwood but also in our community and world.
We are called to be image bearers of Christ and to spread the
good news of the Gospel. There are individuals just a few miles
away that struggle with the basic necessities of life that we are
called to love. We also have international mission partners in
Europe, Asia, Africa and South America that are putting their
security and comfort on the line to answer the call of Christ. The
grace of God equips us to better serve both our local ministries
and our mission partners abroad. My prayer is that the members
of Southwood might better recognize our call to spread the
gospel of Christ to our community and around the world.

Grace
ANNUAL
CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING
FEBRUARY 4 TH
express
A Weekend Conference
January 27 & 28
• Saturday, 5:30-8:00pm
Church family dinner
Teaching Session 1 with Dr. Dan Doriani
Dessert with Mission Partners
• Sunday, 9:00-10:10am
Session 2 panel discussion with Mission Partners
• Sunday, 10:30am
Worship and Session 3 with Dr. Dan Doriani
with guest preacher
Dr. Dan Doriani
Free tickets for Saturday's
dinner available in the Office
and Guest Center from
January 14 through January 23.
Childcare available, newborn to
3rd grade (sign-ups also in the
Guest Center).